Saturday, November 19, 2011

Saturday's postcards: Peaceful scenes from around the world

It's always a good day for some quiet, peaceful scenes from around the globe.1 That's the theme of today's postcards.

Vermont covered bridge


The above undated postcard was published by Don Sieburg of New London, New Hampshire. The caption states: "VERMONT COVERED BRIDGE near White River Junction2 in a picturesque setting with sparkling waterfall and colorful fall foliage of THE GREEN MOUNTAIN STATE."

This is one of more than 100 authentic covered bridges in Vermont. One of those bridges, the Bartonsville Covered Bridge, was destroyed by the flooding caused by Hurricane Irene in late August.

Callander Bridge & Ben Ledi


Here's another scenic bridge.

This undated postcard from Valentine & Sons Ltd. features Callander Bridge and Ben Ledi (the mountain in the background) in Scotland.3

Peggy's Cove in Nova Scotia


This undated postcard is a Mirro-Krome Card by H.S. Crocker Co., Inc., in San Francisco. It was published by The Book Room Ltd. in Halifax, Nova Scotia.

The caption states simply: "PEGGY'S COVE, Famous beauty spot on the South Shore of Nova Scotia."

The small community, which was once known for its fishing industry but is now primarily a tourist attraction, was known as Peggy's Cove from 1961 to 1976 but is now officially called Peggys Cove, without the apostrophe.4

For more on the history and legend of Peggys Cover, check out this website.

Drottningholm Palace, Sweden


This undated black-and-white photo was taken by Gustaf Hilleström.

Drottningholm Palace is the private residence of the Swedish royal family. The original stone palace was built by John III of Sweden in 1580 for his queen, Catherine the Jagiellonian of Poland.5

Check out more on the official website of the Swedish Royal Court.

Plaza Altamira in Caracas, Venezuela


This undated Spanish-language postcard from Caracas, Venezuela, features "El Obelisco de la Plaza Altamira."

Altamira is a neighborhood in Caracas6 (a city of 1.8 million) that dates to 1577. Plaza Altamira, which includes an obelisk and a fountain, was built by Luis Roche, who owned most of the area in 1943. The square was completed in August 1945.

In 1967, the Venezuelan and French governments agreed to rename Plaza Altamira to Plaza Francia, but, apparently, it is still most commonly called Plaza Altamira.

Footnotes
1. Especially after another week of tumultuous and gut-wrenching coverage of the Penn State/Jerry Sandusky/The Second Mile/Joe Paterno scandal.
2. One of the residents of White River Junction is famed meteorologist Jim Cantore. Also, interestingly, White River Junction is home to the Center for Cartoon Studies, a two-year art school focusing on sequential art.
3. Another postcard from Callander was featured on Papergreat last month.
4. Perhaps the removal of the apostrophe was a money-saving move.
5. The marriage between members of the Swedish and Polish royal families led to much consternation and strife.
6. The official name of Caracas is Santiago de León de Caracas.

Thursday, November 17, 2011

Old business card for Hayes Flying Service


Here's an old business card for Hayes Flying Service, which was located at R.D. 2, Box 74, 3609 Mayfair Road in Uniontown, Ohio. The service offered "airplane rides" and "local sightseeing tours."

The text on the back states:
Flights are being made on week-ends at Akron (M) Airport1, at Adm. Building.

For information or reservation for flights thru the week or week-ends, Call OX-9-3427 after 9 P.M. or Call Akron, Ohio ST-4-0374.
I haven't been able to come up with any additional information about this company's history. So, as always, feel free to add anything you know in the comments section below!

Footnotes
1. I'm not even 100% sure which airport this refers to. Could be Akron-Canton Regional Airport, Akron Fulton International Airport or some other now-defunct airport.

Wednesday, November 16, 2011

Robin Jacques illustrations will always cheer you up


No matter how rough or gloomy of a day you might be having, I think these Robin Jacques illustrations, from the cover of Ruth Manning-Sanders' "A Book of Magic Animals,"1 will totally cheer you up.

A dragon. A monkey. Colorful birds. A cat with a guitar. A monster-type guy who looks like a cross between Godzilla and a moose. What more could you want?

Take a closer look at Jacques' imaginative work...


To me, the dragon looks rather dim but friendly. Perhaps he's the Lennie Small of dragons. The monkey looks like a constant and faithful companion along the lines of Abu. The Lizard-Moose Guy (LMG) looks a bit pensive and forlorn. Perhaps he's bummed about being tangled up with this cast of questionable creatures.

And then there's the cat. A good rule: Never trust a cat with a green hat, a cape and a guitar. To me, that cat is saying, "Am I annoying you? ... How about now? ... How about now?"

Footnotes
1. Even the book's dust jacket chatter will make you feel like a kid again. It states: "Once again, Ruth Manning-Sanders dips into her infinite store of folk material ... this time about animals who use their magic powers to interfere in the lives of humans. They bring about seemingly impossible marriages, avenge horrible wrongs, protect people from very strange villains as well as their own stupidity, and occasionally shock the reader by turning out to be humans themselves -- under a curse." The book contains tales from Brittany, Russia, Africa, Sweden, Mallorca and Germany, among other places.

Tuesday, November 15, 2011

1938 receipt from Albert Brothers Steam Bakery

Here's a receipt that shows someone went to Albert Brothers Steam Bakery in Myerstown, Pennsylvania, on August 19, 1938,1 and purchased the following:
  • 7 loaves of bread at 8 cents apiece = 56 cents
  • 4 cakes at 20 cents apiece = 80 cents
  • TOTAL BILL = $1.36
Before you gasp at how low that bill is, it would be the equivalent of about $21 today, according to the Inflation Calculator.

On the "Sold by" line of this receipt is the name Paul. That could be a reference to Paul P. Albert, who was a founder and worked at Albert Brothers Bakery for 37 years until his retirement in 1961, according to his obituary, which was published in the October 25, 1973, issue of the Reading Eagle.

Another Albert brother was Henry F. Albert, who died on July 1, 1965, at age 71.

Beyond that, I haven't been able to dig up much. Anyone have anything to share regarding the Albert brothers and their 20th century bakery in central Pennsylvania?

Footnotes
1. Born on August 19, 1938: Diana Muldaur of "Star Trek: The Next Generation" and "L.A. Law" fame.

Monday, November 14, 2011

Zita Spangler: From St. John's Reformed to Rolling Green Park


I find it fascinating to research the history of books that were given as gifts decades ago. I have a copy of the 1925 edition of "Standard Bible Story Readers, Book One (The Primer)." The 128-page hardcover by Lillie A. Faris features a beautiful blue-toned illustration spread across the inside front cover and first page.


Written in neat cursive inside the "This Book Belongs to" box is:
"Zita Spangler
Presented for perfect attendance during 1932 by St. John's Reformed S.S. Red Lion, Pa."1
Zita was 4 or 5 when she received this book at church. She was born Zita Arlene Spangler on May 29, 1927, and was the youngest of three children of Roman Martin Spangler Sr. (1892-1966) and Sarah Matilda Fetrow (1895-1951).

(Coincidentally, Zita's older sister, Sheilavay Spangler, went on to marry John Doll, who I wrote about in June.)

Zita Spangler went on to be a member of the Class of 1949 at Bloomsburg State Teachers College, became Mrs. Zita Cortright and moved to Rolling Green Park in Hummels Wharf, Pennsylvania, after college.2

And then it gets really interesting.

It's likely that Zita and her husband, Jay, were living in Hummels Wharf to help her father run Rolling Green Park, a trolley park in Snyder County that was in operation from 1908 until 1971 or 1972. Here is an excerpt from an article in the March 16, 2009, edition of The (Sunbury) Daily Item:
In 1907 a trolley line was constructed to run from Selinsgrove via Hummels Wharf, Shamokin Dam and into Sunbury. It was then that Guy Webster, president of the York Bridge Company, realized that potential trolley-riders needed a reason to travel on the trolley. In 1908, approximately 46 acres of land was purchased for $9,841.66 with the idea of a park as the trolley's last stop.

During the first quarter of the 20th century, the People's Playground's rapid growth fueled the need for a new name, to be chosen through a contest. Mrs. Charles Kissinger, of Lewistown, dubbed it Rolling Green Park for which she received a $25 cash reward. ...

Unfortunately, a gradual decline in attendance and revenue led to the sale of Rolling Green Park in 1935. In 1936, Roman M. Spangler Sr., of Red Lion, assumed ownership and managed the park until his death in 1966. The park continued to operate for several years, but by 1972, Hurricane Agnes did extensive damage to the park and it was felt the park would never regain its former patronage.

Real estate developer Luke E. Bogar Jr. purchased the park from the Spangler estate. The land is now the site of Rolling Green Acres, a housing development.
The Daily Item article has some other interesting facts about Rolling Green Acres, including the top-flight talent that performed there and some of the popular rides that were part of the park. It also recommends a 2005 book, "Snyder County: Postcard History Series," which has an entire chapter on Rolling Green Park.

Finally, the website Defunct Amusement Parks includes some information on Rolling Green Park. The page features an old postcard of the park, and the mentions that the Devil's Den dark ride at Rolling Green Park was incorporated into the Haunted Mansion at Knoebel's Grove.

Meanwhile, the old carousel from Rolling Green Park is apparently still in use at Gillian's Wonderland Pier in Ocean City, New Jersey.

Isn't it neat how a young girl's 1932 gift from a Red Lion church can take you all the way to a carousel in Ocean City, New Jersey, in 2011? That's precisely why I love writing this blog.

Footnotes
1. This Papergreat post from March also featured the inscription from a book given to congratulate someone on perfect attendance.
2. Geneaology sources: